Jeffrey Sachs, director of Earth Institute, professor of health policy and management at Columbia University and special advisor to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, was here on October 16 for The Glantz Lecture: The Values That Unite Us.

In the wake of the worst recession in almost a century, Sachs turned his focus to his home country, arguing that America has reached a crucial moment in its history. He spoke at length about the failures of Obama, money in politics, and of course, Occupy Wall Street. “We’re just at the beginning of this,” he told the audience. “It’s not simple, but something is starting here.” Watch video excerpts above.